


This Is Sick-O-Ween

by idrilhadhafang



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Banter, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Darkpilot Watches Halloween (1978), Established Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Protective Poe Dameron, Sickfic, Weird Fluff, briefly touching on Squicky topics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 20:28:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21021800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idrilhadhafang/pseuds/idrilhadhafang
Summary: In which Ben catches a stomach bug from a restaurant and Poe tries to help him.





	This Is Sick-O-Ween

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MidgardianNerd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidgardianNerd/gifts).

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author’s Notes: For MidgardianNerd, who wasn’t feeling well earlier. Based on a prompt I saw on Tumblr, as well as me being sick a while ago. 
> 
> Also, considering we’re talking about Halloween (2018), warning for some rather Squicky stuff involving forceful kissing and creepy dads. (Not necessarily combined)

Of course Poe had to stay, even when Ben was puking his guts out after an unfortunate meal early on from something called First Order Takeout. (First Order, Ben thought grimly. Even the name sounded like a supervillain name. Maybe that was why he’d gotten sick off one of their shitty burgers) Even as his roommate slash boyfriend held his hair as Ben vomited into the toilet, Ben almost wanted to cry. What did Poe see in him? Especially when he was stupid enough to eat at a restaurant that sounded like a Young Adult dystopian government?

“How are you feeling?” Poe said, once the vomiting mercifully subsided. 

“On top of the world,” Ben said sarcastically, causing Poe to laugh in sympathy. 

“Yeah, I know, sweetheart, I’m sorry,” Poe said, more seriously. “Stomach bugs can fuck themselves.”

”I know,” Ben said. “I look like shit. Though that doesn’t say much...”

”Sweetheart, you’re a vision even when you’re throwing up like mad.” 

Ben swallowed even as Poe’s hand entwined in his, fingers seeming so gentle and almost like Ben was delicate. 

“You’re too good for me,” he said. 

Poe sighed. “Don’t be dramatic. You deserve a lot.”

”Maybe.” Ben sighed. “God, I just know when I’m back in action, I’m going to bring my lunch from now on.”

”Good idea. Now, come on, Ben,” Poe said, “We’re going to watch some scary movies together."

That declaration by itself shouldn’t have made Ben feel like he was going to cry happy tears. He supposed he could blame it on just feeling needier when he got sick. 

“I love you,” he said. “Fuck, you don’t even know how much...”

”I do.” Poe looked up at him like even no doubt looking like a drowned Edward Scissorhands, Ben was beautiful in his eyes. “Now you, darling, are going to sit on the couch with me, and we’re going to make the most out of you being sick.”

”Yeah.” Ben grinned despite himself. 

They walked over from the bathroom and sat on the couch after picking out their scary movie to watch (on DVD from Ben’s collection, as Netflix wasn’t perfect). The original Halloween, just to begin with — it seemed appropriate considering today’s date. “Just skip the 2018 what-the-fuckery,” Ben said. 

“It’s bad?” Poe said in surprise. “Rotten Tomatoes gave it a good score.”

Ben snorted. “Rotten Tomatoes can suck the saltiest inch of my dick.”

”I think only I can do that, darling,” Poe joked. 

“If I wasn’t sick, I’d be up for it.”

”So why is Halloween 2018 so bad?” Poe said. 

“Well, to begin with,” Ben said, “There’s a father who literally, and I am not making this up, makes a joke about peanut butter on his dick in front of his underage daughter.”

Poe wrinkled his nose. “Are you shitting me?”

”No, I’m not,” Ben said. “And then there’s some asshole who kisses her without her consent and we’re still supposed to feel sorry for him when Michael kicks his loser ass...”

”Ew,” Poe said. 

“Yeah. If that’s the ‘true sequel’ to the original Halloween, then I’m Chris Hemsworth in _Thor_.” Beat. “Before they introduced the ‘masterpiece’ of humor that was a Thor-related fat joke.”

”Don’t talk about yourself like that,” Poe said. “Not that Chris Hemsworth is grotesque, but you? You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever met.”

Ben smiled faintly. “Thanks. But yeah, Rotten Tomatoes is full of shit. But I digress. Let’s get to watching the movie; you don’t know what you’re missing.” A beat. “And skip stuff like Halloween Resurrection; I mean, it might as well be called ‘You’ve Got To Be Shitting Me: The Movie.’”

Poe chuckled. “Let’s get to watching the movie, Ben.”

They did. Even as John Carpenter’s iconic score opened the movie, as well as the visually striking opening credits, Ben looked over at Poe, trying to read his reaction. Would he like it? Poe hadn’t seen Halloween. He hadn’t seen a lot of the classics (as had become a running joke in their circle). What if he thought it was cheesy or campy or misogynistic or...anything?

Even watching the opening sequence with Michael killing Judith, Ben looked from the screen to Poe, trying to gauge his reaction. Finally, Poe said, “Ben, I love you with all my heart, but just relax and watch the movie. Stop goddamn worrying.”

Ben sighed and turned back to the screen. It was once Michael was unmasked proper that he heard Poe’s breath hitch and his boyfriend go, “Holy shit.”

”Yeah, I know,” Ben said. “And without a single cheap jumpscare in sight.”

***

Doctor Loomis showed up later, and Ben grinned despite himself, despite how generally awful he was feeling. “That’s Michael’s doctor.”

”That poor bastard,” Poe said. “I can imagine he needed a lot of beer to get through _that_.”

Ben chuckled. “You have no idea.” He grew more serious. “I will say its depiction of mental health hasn’t really aged well,” he said, even as the scene continued. “I know it was the seventies, but still...”

Poe snorted. “I’d say that’s true today too.”

They watched the rest of the scene, watched as Michael made, in Ben’s opinion, a pretty daring escape. 

“And he left a poor old man in the pouring rain after he stole his car,” Poe said disapprovingly even as Loomis shouted about the evil being gone. “How rude.”

***

Meeting Laurie was also something that Ben was looking forward to. Besides Loomis (who he was fond of mostly thanks to Pleasence’s phenomenal acting), he liked her — liked her easy sense of humor and caring nature. Even as she commented to Tommy Doyle that Lonnie Elam wouldn’t graduate the sixth grade, he and Poe both chuckled. 

“I like her,” Poe said. 

“Oh, she gets even better from here!” Ben said excitedly. “She’s really funny. And really brave.”

He got to introduce Poe to the other characters too. Lynda (who was oddly endearing with her overuse of the word “totally”, even if Poe joked that, just to keep Ben hydrated, they could have a drinking game with water. “Take a shot every time she says ‘totally’,” Poe said lightly) and Annie (who Ben found a pretty endearing snarker), for example. Poe definitely seemed to be laughing at the right moments, and despite some of his snarky observations, he seemed to be fascinated with how the story was unfolding, and he seemed to be very protective of Laurie. (Poe actually did seem to want to comfort Laurie after her line about guys thinking she was too smart)

”Man,” Poe said, “These characters are pretty fun. It’ll suck when Michael kills them later.”

”I know,” Ben said grimly. 

***

The movie played on. True, there were characters that Ben didn’t like (like Lynda’s boyfriend, Bob. He wondered, had Bob lived, if he and Alison’s father from the 2018 Halloween would have been the best of friends; they were both accidentally creepy), but even watching, Ben found his hand lacing in Poe’s, especially in moments where Michael seemed to be casually lurking in the background, just watching the other characters. Poe’s observations were fun to listen to, including, “Huh. Michael must have been in a good mood that day” after Michael scared one of Tommy Doyle’s bullies. Poe turned to look at him at one point, while Laurie and Tommy were bonding.

”You know, it still holds up,” Poe said. “I can see why you like it.”

Ben grinned. “I knew you would.”

***

The movie played on. Ben already felt his chest tighten at the idea of what was coming next, and though he didn’t really care about Bob being knifed to the wall, it was sad to see Lynda and Annie go (even though he would admit that Michael’s disguise in Lynda’s death scene was like if Charlie Brown got lazy with one of his costumes). And watching Laurie run from Michael, then hide from him, then try and fight him — well, he was practically gripping Poe’s hand, and Poe wasn’t making any jokes anymore; they were both riveted to the screen, watching as the movie’s climax unfolded. 

“Damn,” Poe said, “Michael doesn’t know how to die, does he?”

Ben nodded. “You could say that.”

They watched. Ben was already tense, even though he knew Loomis was going to burst in at a critical moment and...at least slow Michael down. And when he did — fuck was it cathartic. Even if Michael was just slowed down. 

They watched as Laurie and Loomis had their exchange. And then, as Loomis realized that Michael had survived the gunshots and escaped. Even as the movie ended, Poe sighed. 

“Well, that was a great movie,” Poe said. “Holy shit, that ending...”

”Well, that’s Michael,” Ben said, shrugging. “He’s the living embodiment of a Chumbawumba song.”

”Yeah,” Poe said. He sighed. “Wanna watch another movie?”

Ben grinned. He hadn’t thought that being sick would actually be fun. And yet, here, Poe made it so. 


End file.
